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Is Turkey Kosher?

By: Rabbi Ari Z. Zivotofsky,** Ph.D.

KASHRUT OF BIRDS - THE BIBLICAL STORY:

For the purpose of identifying kosher animals, the Shulchan Aruch
(Yoreh De'ah 79, 82, 83 and 85), based on Lev. 11:1-27 and Deut. 14:3-20,
divides the animal kingdom into four categories. 1
These are: terrestrial mammalian quadrupeds, birds, fish, and invertebrates. 2 In general, the Torah specifies the features characterize a
kosher species. For example, among the mammalian quadrupeds, an animal
is kosher if it both chews its cud (ma'alay gara) and has fully
split hooves (mafreset parsah v'shosa'at shesa prasot). In many
cases the talmudic sages clarified, elaborated, embellished and added to
the indicators, and these are often recorded as normative halacha in the
Shulchan Aruch.

Birds are categorically different from the other three classes in that
the Torah offers no identifying features to distinguish the kosher from
the non-kosher species. The Torah simply provides a listing of those birds
that are not kosher. An even score of species are listed 3
and after several of them "and its species" is stated, for a total of 24
non-kosher species. 4
By inference, all of the other, vast number of bird species, are kosher. 5
Thus, for Moshe Rabbenu, or any expert ornithologist who is able to correctly
identify the 24 listed species, things are relatively straightforward -
all other birds are kosher. However, today when these can no longer be
accurately identified, things are quite a bit more complicated. 6
"In order to fully explain the identification of kosher birds would take
a small booklet of its own" (Minchat Chinuch, mitzvah 157). And Chatam
Sofer, Rabbi Yonatan Eibschitz, and others wrote several. What will be
presented here is, by necessity, only a brief summary of the main ideas,
with a focus on those relevant to the question of turkey.